Victoria Maternity Hospital, Hyderabad

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Victoria Maternity Hospital, also known as Victoria Zenana Hospital, was Hyderabad’s first hospital dedicated to women and was the city’s second largest after Afzalgunj. It opened in 1907, with its foundation laid in 1905 by the Princess of Wales, during the reign of the sixth Nizam. It began as Zenana Hospital and was later renamed Victoria Maternity Hospital. In 1957, it became Government Maternity Hospital after maternity and gynaecology beds were moved from Osmania General Hospital.

The hospital moved to a new location, and the old building is now the H-block of the Telangana High Court, used to house fire engines. The building was once listed as a Heritage Building, but in 2010 it was delisted to be demolished and turned into a multi-level car park for High Court staff and visitors. The plan also included demolishing the Dog Fountain from the Qutub Shahi era. On 16 May 2019, the High Court stayed the demolition following an appeal by heritage activists.

The hospital is notable for Dr. Rupa Bai Fardonji, the world’s first qualified female anesthetist, who worked there in the early 1900s.